A team of local birders - Wanstead Birders and members of the Wren Wildlife and Conservation Group - spent 11 weeks this spring surveying the territories of 25 species on the patch. Wanstead Flats and Wanstead Park were covered pretty comprehensively, as was Gilbert's Slade. The species covered were Stock Dove, Great Spotted and Green Woodpeckers, Skylark, Meadow Pipit, Wren, Dunnock, Robin, Blackbird, Song Thrush, Mistle Thrush, Common and Lesser Whitethroats, Garden Warbler, Blackcap, Chiffchaff, Willow Warbler, Goldcrest, Treecreeper, Nuthatch, Great Tit, Goldfinch, Greenfinch, Chaffinch and Reed Bunting.
Almost 1,200 territories were found and mapped. Some proved a whole lot harder to survey than others, and some - Willow Warbler, Garden Warbler and Reed Bunting spring to mind - hardly troubled the scorers. However, there was no shortage of Wrens (the commonest species surveyed), Robins, Great Tits or Blackcaps.
and Common Whitethroats and an old favourite that seems to be doing pretty well on the patch, Song Thrush. Next year we hope to do some of the areas left uncovered this year, including the City of London and Manor Park cemeteries and Leyton Flats. Any volunteers very welcome. In fact, I'll buy you a pint if you sign up!
Many thanks to James Heal for producing such a very fine map.
Tim Harris, August 2015
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